Intercepting-valve.



UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICEel AUGUSTUS A. BALL` JR., OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELEOTRIO COMPANY, A OOR- PORATION OF NEV YORK.

iNTERoEPTlNG-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,892, dated October 11, 1904.

Application filed June 5, 1902. Serial No. 110,316. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS A. BALL, Jr. a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, in the county oi' Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intercepting-Yalves, of which thefollowing is a specication. y

It is well understoody that an ordinary iiuidpressure engine works at high -economy only over a relatively small range of load. In other words, any particular engine will work most economically at some particular load, and when the load is increased or decreased the economy is decreased. This variation in economy is objectionable with all kinds of engines; but it is particularly so with those used on automobiles, where the supplies of fuel and water are of necessity limited. To obviate this objection, some steam locomotiveengines have been compounded and provided with so-called intercepting-valves, whereby the high and low pressure cylinders can be connected either in multiple or in series, as desired, and by these means the engine can be modified to suit the load conditions. I

My invention relates to intercepting-valves, and has for its object to provide a valve which is particularly suitable for use on automobiles, is simple in construction, has fluid-carrying passages which are relatively free from bends or turns, and are so arranged with respect to the engine-cylinders that they are of minimum length.

The drawings, together with the description and appended claims, set forth what I consider to be novel and my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment ot' my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a compound engine and its intercepting-valve, the valve being set to supply steam to the high and low pressure cylinders in series. Fig. 2 is also a longitudinal section showing a compound engine with its intercepting-valve set to supply steam to the cylinders in multiple or in simple relation, and Fig. 3 is a detail view in longitudinal :section of a modified form of the intercepting-valve.

.tion to another is small.

The cylinders 1 and 2 are preferably, although not necessarily, formed in the same casting, since by this construction the amount of machine-work thereon is reduced to a minimum, and, furthermore, there is less liability of distortion due to temperature changes. Each cylinder is provided with detachable heads 3 and 4, the heads 4 being provided with stuing-boxes. In effect, two separate and double-acting engines are provided which may be operated as separate units or as a single unit by compounding. In the drawings two cylinders are shown; but it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto.

Situated at a point between the two cylinders, so as to reduce to a minimum the length of the steam-passages, is an intercepting-valve 4a. The valve is of the balanced type and is mounted in a cylindrical valve-chamber 5, formed in the main body or casting 6. The valve is cylindrical in form and is provided with three cutaway portions 7, 8, and 9, which are arranged to register under certain conditions with the transversely-extending passages IO, 1l, and l2. The ports or passages and the reduced parts of the valve are so arranged that the movement required or the valve in passing from one extreme posi- Moreover, by the arrangement shown the lap can be liberal, so that the leakage is reduced to a minimum. By adjusting the valve to intermediate positions the admission of motive Iiuid to the second or low-pressure cylinder can be throttled in a manner to give low speeds and heavy torque. It will be noted that the steam-inlet is situated in such manner that steam can be admitted to the high-pressure cylinder without regard to the position of the intciceptingvalve. Extending between the ends of the valve is an opening, the object of which is to equalize the pressures at the opposite ends. To the end of the valve is secured a valve-rod 13, by means of which it can be moved longitudinally.

Formed in the main body of the engine are passages 10, 1l, and 12. These passages are formed by cores at the time the casting is made. The passage is connected with the valve-chamber 18 of the high-pressure cylinder and with the valve-chamber 19 .of the lowpressure cylinder. The said passage is divided into two parts by means of the intercepting-valve 4. The passage 1 1 is connected to the steam-inlet pipe 16 and is also under the control of the intercepting-valve. The transversely-extending passage 11 opens into a conduit 17, which extends parallel with the engine-piston. The transversely-extending passage 12 is connected at one end with the valve-chamber 18 and at the other end with the conduit 17. The latter extends parallel with the main cylinders and may be considered as an extension of the passage 12. The conduit opens into the valve-chamber 19 and is arranged to discharge steam or other motive fluid into it.

The admission of motive uid to the cylinders is controlled by two piston-valves 2O and 21. These valves are situated between the intercepting-valve and the engine-pistons,and it is desirable, although not necessary, to have all of the pistons and cylinders occupy the same plane. Such an arrangement enables me to make the parts compact and at the same time reduce the length of passages to a minimum. A further advantage resides in the fact that the tendency to distortion is reduced to a minimum. Again, the machine-work is simplied, particularly Where all of the parts have the same center line.

The construction of the piston-valves is similar, so that a description of one of them will be sufcient. The valve comprises a piston having enlarged heads which closely lit the valve-chamber and a portion of reduced cross-section between the heads. The valve is provided with a longitudinally-extending opening 22, which permits steam to pass from one end to the other under certain conditions, as will hereinafter appear. The heads on the valves are so arranged that they can cover or uncover the ports 14 and 23 of the high-pressure cylinder and ports 15 and 24 of the lowpressure cylinder. Each valve is actuated by a valve-rod 25, which rod is driven by an eccentric or other means from the main crank-shaft 26 and is on the low-pressure side of the valve, which reduces the external leakage. The ends of the valve-chambers are closed by screw-threaded plugs 27 and packing-glands, which glands prevent steam from leaking out around the valve-rods. The engine-pistons are connected to the crank-shaft by the connecting-rods 28. Secured to the main body of the engine or formed integral therewith are side arms or supports 29, which carry the bearing 30 for the crank-shaft. These arms are braced by means of transversely-extending rods 31.

The intercepting-valve of Fig. 1 is shown in such a position that the two parts of the engine are in series or compound relation.

The action of the valve mechanism is as follows: Steam is admitted from any suitable source by the pipe 16. It then passes into the valvecha1nber18 between the heads on the piston- .valve, thence through the port 23 into the high-pressure cylinder. This causes the piston to be moved upward in the direction of the arrow. Assuming that the engine has been in use, the steam contained in the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston will pass through the port 14 into the valve-chamber 18 and the transversely-extending passage 10. From here it passes through the opening in the piston-valve into the transversely-extending passage 12, thence around the reduced portion 9 of the interceptingvalve into the conduit 17. From this point it passes into the valve-chamber 19 between the heads on the piston-valve through the port 24 into the low-pressure cylinder. As the low-pressure piston moves upward under the action ofthe steam the steam remaining' in the cylinder on the other side of the piston passes out through the port 15 into the transversely-extending passage 10, thence out through the exhaust-pipe 32.

The engines are double-acting, and therefore steam must be admitted to the cylinders irst on one side of the piston and then on the other. When the crank-shaft 26 is rotated to a point where the admission-valve 20 is at the upper end of its stroke, steam will enter from the pipe 16, pass through the valve-chamber, thence through the port 14 into the upper end of the high-pressure cylinder and cause the piston to move downward. As the piston moves downward the steam on the other side of the piston passes out of the cylinder through the port 23 into the valve-chamber 18, thence into the transversely-extending passage 12 to the conduit 17 to the valve-chamber 19. From here the steam passes through the port 15 and forces the low-pressure piston downward. The steam on the other side of the piston passes through the port 24 into the valve-chamber 19, thence through the opening 22 in the valve into the transverselyextending passage 10, thence to the exhaustpipe 32.

In Fig. 2 the two parts of the engine are arranged to Work in multiple-that is to say, they are acting as two simple engines. This change is accomplished by moving the intercepting-valve to a point Where the reduced portions 7 and 8 register with the passages 10 and 11, and the Object is to obtain greater torque. When the engine shown is working as a compound, it will develop about threehorse power, whereas when the two cylinders are in multiple and both are working as simple engines about six-horse power will be developed with good economy. It is to be understood, however, that when working as a compound engine the economy 1s higher.

lVlith the arrangement shown the highest TOO IIO

economy is obtained by adjusting the valve for the high-pressure cylinder so that it will cut oI at about one-halt` or one-third of the stroke. The range of good working economy of the engine working compound would be from about one and a half to three horse power. This latter range may be obtained by using a throttle. ihen the parts are worked as simple engines and with about the same cut-off, the engine will work with good economy from about three and a half to six horse power, this control being obtained by using the throttle. The economy under these conditions is not quite equal to that when the engines are running compounded. The principal object in making changes from compound to simple is to obtain heavy torque, such as is necessary in starting a vehicle under certain conditions.

In Fig. 2 the intercepting-valve is shown in the extreme lower position, and steam on being admitted by the pipe 16 enters the valvechamber 18, passes through the port 23 into the high-pressure cylinder, and forces the piston upward. The steam which is on the exhaust side of the piston passes through the opening 14 into the transversely-extending passage 10, thence into the exhaust-pipe 32. In addition to the above steam passes through the transversely-extending passage 11 into the valve-chamber 19, and with the valve arranged as shown the steam passes through the port 24 into the low-pressure cylinder 2 and forces the piston upward. The steam which is on the exhaust side of the piston exhausts through the port 15 into the passage 10 and exhaust-pipe 32. The engine shown is of the double-acting type, and the two pistons are set ninety degrees apart. The piston-valves 20 and 2,1 in moving upward from the position shown cause admission of steam to the ports 14 and 15 and permit the exhaust to pass through the ports 23 and 24 into the valve-chambers, from which it passes-by the openings 22 in the valves into the transverselyextending passage 10, thence to the exhaustpipe 32.

In Fig. 3 is shown aslight modification wherein the intercepting-valve 4a is arranged for oscillating insteadoil reciprocating movement. The passages 10, 11, and 12, however, remain the same as before, and the advantages accruing from my improved construction are found, as previously described.

In starting into action under ordinary conditions the intercepting-valve is set for cornpound running, and steam or other motive iiuid is admitted to the high-pressure cylinder; but in event of the piston being caught on a dead-center the intercepting-valve is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2, and highpressure steam is admitted to both cylinders, at which time owing to the displacement or lead of the cranks the engine will start.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isE

1. In combination, a base having formed therein high and low pressure cylinders, valvechambers between said cylinders, an intercepting-valve chamber between said valve-chambers, a transverse exhaust-passage connecting all the cylinders and valve-chambers at the upper end, a conduit located between the intercepting-valve chamber and the low-pressure-valve chamber and connecting with the lower end of the high-pressure-valve chamber and the middle of the low-pressure-valve chamber and of the intercepting-valve chamber, a live-steam inlet connecting with the middle of the high-pressure-valve chamber and of the intercepting-valve chamber, pistonvalves in the valve-chambers having an opening extending lengthwise through them, and an intercepting-valve having ports for connecting the upper transverse passage, the middle of the high-pressure-valve chamber and the conduit, and the lower end of the high-pressure-valve chamber and the conduit.

2. In an engine, the combination of a highpressure cylinder and piston, a low-pressure cylinder and piston, a valve-chamber foreach cylinder, ports connecting the chambers and cylinders, valves for controlling said ports, three passages connecting the valve-chambers two of which have a common port communieating with one valve-chamber, an intercepting-valve which simultaneously opens two of said passages and closes the third or vice versa for placing the cylinders in simple or compound relation, means or admitting steam to the valve-chambers, and meansfor exhausting said valve-chambers.

3. In an engine, the combination of a highpressure cylinder and piston, a low-pressure cylinder and piston, a valve-chamber for each cylinder, ports connecting the cylinders at their'ends to the valve-chambers, valves controlling the ports, a passage connecting the valve-chambers at corresponding ends, a second passage connecting the valve-chambers intermediate their ends, and a third passage connecting one valve-chamber at its end and the other at an intermediate point, a steam-inlet communicating with the second passage, an exhaust connection with the first passage, and an intercepting valve for controlling the passage to admit steam to the valve-chambers simultaneously or successively for simple or compound operation respectively.

4. In an engine, the combination of a highpressure cylinder and piston, a low-pressure cylinder and piston, a valve-chamber for the cylinders, ports connecting the chambers and cylinders, piston-valves for connecting the ports and having bores which permit communication between the ends of the valve-chambers and the cylinder-ports, an exhaust-passage connecting the valve-chambers at corre- IOO IIO

spending ends, astearn-iniet passage conneetl the other two passages are closed, or vice ing the Valve-chambers at medial points, 'a versa. IO connecting-passage between the high-pressure In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my cylinder and the steam-inlet passage which is hand this 3d day of June, 1902.

adapted to communicate with the high-pres- AUGUSTUS A. BALL, JR. sure cylinder for Compound operation of the Witnesses: engine,and an intereepting-valve having ports DUGALD MCK. MCKILLOP,

by which the connecting-passage is open While HENRY O. VVESTENDARP. 

